An Assassin's Guide to Family

Chapter 34: Present

---------------- Bruce's POV: -------------------

I knew my boys. I knew them enough to know when they hid things, to know when they were in a relationship, and when they were trying to be sneaky. I knew these things and yet I gave the respect to keep their secrecy, to make some of the mistakes that are okay to make when it came to crime fighting. But something was different this time.

It was Tim and Dick, the two were skittish, often sneaking off to the Batcave and constantly looking into the league of assassins. I knew Dick had some history with one of their members so I could only hope Jason hadn't talked them into some sort of revenge plan, no matter how improbable that was to happen, these kids continued to surprise me every day so I wouldn't put it past them.

I tried to leave them alone for a while, I really did. Usually, these problems solved themselves, and from the looks of it, Jason had yet to get involved, or seriously involved that is. I could never really pinpoint his actions as frustrating as it was. Now though, I was getting worried. I'd found their uncleared searches on the bat computer the other night, and was not too happily met with the sight of one of the members of the assassins league. She'd joined a few years ago to my knowledge, and straight out of the gate had begun performing missions on her own. She was a force to be reckoned with and was never confirmed in countless murders which had her MO but no evidence to prove that. She was a ghost.

Obviously, I was worried the kids would try something reckless, getting into trouble seemed to be their only serious hobby. So I snuck slightly into their business. Nothing too bad, I simply decided to apply some pressure to their research.

Tim and Dick were quiet about it, whatever they were planning they had no intention of telling me.

I hid one night, behind one of the pillars in the Batcave. If they'd used only an ounce of what I'd trained them they probably would have found me, but they didn't, they were too comfortable here. It's something I would need to talk to them about later.

"-I don't get it, she managed to kill two people at a crowded party?" Dick asked, his voice filled with disbelief. I knew something was off immediately. Dick wasn't stupid so asking if a known murderer could do something so simple compared to her resume, well it wasn't adding up.

"Allegedly. She didn't have the same mask though, people on the streets are saying she came in with someone with a tiger mask and was wearing a sea bunny mask." Tim replied, the two had made their way from the elevator to the computer, I could hear the swift clicking of Tim's fingers as he typed something up. I leaned around the pillar, watching as he typed in 'Blue food project' I felt a swift kick to my heart at the memory. It was a file I'd compiled for Percy a few weeks into having her in the manor. It was a notice board to the family of what her favorite foods were. It was stupid but Alfred seemed to find it helpful when she was hurt or on special days.

I hadn't opened it since she disappeared.

I took in a shaky breath. I still couldn't fully believe what had happened that day. I hadn't been myself. I still couldn't rule out some form of mind control. Nothing I would've willingly said would've been even close to what I'd told her that night. I had to pray she would be okay long enough for me to reassure her.

I shook myself from the useless thoughts as they pulled open the document. What would they want with Percy's favorite foods?

The document opened quickly, revealing all the recipes I'd placed into the database as well as pictures of said foods. Some of my finest photography if I do say so myself.

I watched as Tim scrolled down, past all the recipes and to the end of the doc, except the document didn't end where it used to after the blue cake, now it extended past, revealing pictures of random women with black hair, smudgy pictures of people littering the document.

"God...what were the wounds?" Dick asked, the two scanning over the pictures.

"The man had a slashed throat, it looked more like her handiwork than the woman. She was practically disemboweled. That might have been her partner, I hope it wasn't who we think it is." A heavy silence fell over the both of them before Tim clicked on a picture. This one was of a girl heading out of a cafe, her thick curly black hair was pulled back into a ponytail and while most of her face was smudgy and hard to read, and mostly covered by a black mask, one thing was clear, stunningly sea green eyes. I felt my eyes widen as I examined the image more closely. The woman had to be in the 18-20 age range, she was clearly young, and her build was strong yet not confident. She looked just like Percy.

My eyes flickered to Tim and Dick, did they know where Percy was? Had she been hiding from only me? No not possible, the mourning the boys had gone through was too real to be acting. Dick might be borderline- no, entirely a thespian at heart, but his actions would never be that good. Forget Jason or Tim.

"Is there still no way to contact her? No way to track her movements?" Dick asked, pulling the chair away from Tim right before he was going to sit, forcing Tim to catch himself at the last moment. He scowled before shrugging.

"How would we even, we got lucky when she fought Jason, I can't help but think the cup was a sign, no way that someone who hadn't left any marks at her crimes would suddenly be stupid enough to leave a steamy cup of coffee coupled with DNA waiting for us" Tim mumbled, the words echoing just enough off the walls for me to catch.

"I just... if Percy wanted to contact us, going so far as to leave us a sign to find her, why doesn't she just come back." I froze, the click of the puzzle in my head snapping together with sudden clarity.

They believed Percy was Orca, the murdering member of the league of assassins. A woman who single-handedly took out an entire crime family in one fell swoop. This was who they believed to be one in the same. Orca, the one who'd attacked Jason nearly leaving him injured with wounds that could've put him out for weeks, was Percy, the young daughter of my dear sister. The thought was preposterous and yet I had no choice but to believe.

Percy's scars had always looked combative, I knew at least a few didn't come from the abuse from her previous step dad but I was in no place to ask, she was the last favor I could give to my sister and to make her life safe and easy was going to be my final apology to my sister. Now though, if Percy really was this crime lord, murdering for hire and running the streets in the night I knew I failed her. I promised her that I would keep her safe, instead, I yelled at her, and told her to leave and she did. It's my fault she took this path.

I took in a deep breath as I continued watching. "She could be scared, Bruce told us they had a fight, who knew how bad it was? Whatever it was, we need to get her back. I want to ask her why she didn't come back herself." Dick nodded.

"Hopefully we can get a city cam to pick her facial signature up somewhere, but if it's anything like this potential photo then we're gonna get nothing. Especially with that mask. Facial recognition is hard enough without having articles of clothing blocking the main features of the face."

Tim scoffed. The two talked game plan a while later before splitting ways for patrol. Back in silence, I could only sit with my thoughts.

I potentially drove my sister's daughter to a path of crime. She was now a murderer because I couldn't control my body.

I sighed. Leaning on the desktop I decided on one thing. I would help her to leave that situation. Percy would return and live a normal life once more. One where she was safe and killing-free. As she should've been since she disappeared. I created a new file, locking it as I added in everything I'd learned plus knew on Orca. Starting today, I will begin my hunt for my niece.

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